I've gotten the latest alpha working in the editor, using the -mod=..\NBGame\Config parameter. I can make maps, play them using the console command switchlevel, and everything works fine. However, if I use the in-editor publish button, I get an error saying my level was not found. If I manually run the cookmaps command using the command "UT3.exe CookPackages -mod=..\NBGame\Config -platform=PC -AlwaysRecookMaps -UpdateInisAuto TheLevelName" it finds the map but soon crashes after starting to process it. The log file says:

I heartily recommend not cooking maps. If they're cooked they have to be re-cooked and re-released next time Nightblade updates, uncooked they will use the new versions of the script files. When zipped an uncooked map is smaller than a cooked map anyhow, so it doesn't affect distribution.

As for how you would actually cook maps, I think I know how to get it worked by it would involve moving some files into the UT3 install directory and be somewhat messy. I can go into detail if you are set upon doing so.

So cooking a map isn't actually beneficial for Nightblade? I was under the impression that it was supposed to improve loading times as well as strip out the source files of whatever you imported into the map. If you don't need to do it for NB, I won't bother pursuing it.

I rather got the impression that it's not worth your while cooking them at the moment, because of all these new alpha releases (when they appear ) which will mean you'll have to re-publish (build all and cook) the map each time NB releases an update.

I believe the easiest way to try to cook a map is to just open it in unreal ed and click the firey cook icon near the build all icon (been a while since i opened up ued, but i seem to remember it round about the build all button).

The issue with cooking a Nightblade map using the alpha is
a) the cooking process doesn't see stuff in the Published directory
b) cooking a map also attempts cooks the texture/model/etc packages it uses in the Unpublished directory, and the Nightblade ones are already cooked

What you would actually need to do is create a NbGame directory in the UT3 install directory and place all the Nightblade packages in there under a CookedPC directory, I think.

I'm not sure what performance benefit is offered from cooking for PC - except perhaps reducing the amount of memory needed to load the map, so perhaps improving load times and aiding people low on memory.

File size is smaller due to some sort of uncluttering/compressing or whatever and the process merges the lightmaps (textures/meshes get their specific lighting/shadows "baked" to them or however that lingo went) into the file so that doesnt need to be recalculated each time or somesuch, so it gets a boost in loading/general speed.

Or so i remember. Could be magical computer fairies too

Thirding not recommending cooking alpha content maps. Youd wanna do that "when its done" (hoho) with an actual official NB release build (haha).